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Maryland plans to seek penalties from Volkswagen over emissions scandal

About 10,000 vehicles in state were affected, MDE says

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Updated: 9:00 AM EST Dec 1, 2015

Courtesy MDE

Maryland Department of Environment

SOURCE: Courtesy MDE

Maryland plans to seek penalties from Volkswagen over emissions scandal

About 10,000 vehicles in state were affected, MDE says

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Updated: 9:00 AM EST Dec 1, 2015

ANNAPOLIS —

Gov. Larry Hogan's administration announced Monday it plans to seek penalties and corrective actions from automaker Volkswagen after the German automaker admitted it installed devices in its vehicles that allowed it to cheat on emissions tests.

The Maryland Department of the Environment estimates that about 10,000 Maryland vehicles were affected by Volkswagen’s actions.

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The department estimates that the affected vehicles emitted more than 700 tons of additional nitrogen oxides since 2009, which is the equivalent of an additional 300,000 vehicles on Maryland roads each day. Environmental officials estimate the vehicles in question were able to pollute Maryland’s air at up to 40 times the federal emissions standard.

“Maryland is working hard to cut smog from power plants in Maryland and from upwind states – and from the cars and trucks that travel our roads,” said Maryland Secretary of the Environment Ben Grumbles in a statement. “We will work to make sure that Volkswagen cleans up its act.”

In September, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a Notice of Violation of the Clean Air Act to Volkswagen AG, Audi AG and Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. That notice alleges that four-cylinder Volkswagen and Audi diesel cars between 2009 and 2015 included software that circumvented emissions standards for pollutants.

In November, the EPA issued a second notice alleging defeat devices were installed in certain Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche light duty diesel vehicles for model years 2014 through 2016.